Vending machine



June 10 1924.

C. W. GEORGE VENDING MACHINE Filed April 7, 1920 4 Sheets-Shae; 1

June 10.1924. 1,497,437

4 c. w. GEORGE VENDING MACHINE Filed April '7, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q r a t fi w m m M i; J i1 a Olaf/6' Geozy June 10 1924. 1,497,437

c. w. GEORGE VENDING MACHINE Filed April '7, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 V g; fiue/zzor Czar/f fey 19 June 10 1924.

C. W. GEORGE VENDING MACHINE Filed April 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet Patented June 10, 1924.

UNITED STATES CLARK WILLIAM GEORGE, 015 FAIEFIELD, IOWA.

VENDING MACHINE.

Application filed April 7,

To all whom it may concern. I

Be it known that I, CLARK W. GEORGE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of F airfield, in the county of Jefferson and Stateof Iowa, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending Machines; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of ref-. erence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in vending machines and consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a coin controlled machine. which is of simple construction and which is efficient in operation, for vending packages of confections, such as chewing-gum, candy-mints, chocolate bars, and the like.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the machine that it will not de liver a package, when a coin other than that for which the machine is designed is used, all washers, slugs, buttons, or other coin imitations used in an attempt to beat the machine, being inoperative. In the improved machine, the coin itself acts as the final delivery member or key required to make the package delivery mechanism operative, and all the traps provided for a spurious coin must be passed before it reaches the said key position. 7

Other novel features, as well as the several advantages of the invention, will be made more apparent as I proceed with my specification.

In'the drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view through a vending machine, embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view through the bottom end of the vending machine, on an enlarged scale, with some of the parts ina position changed from that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the machine in a plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, of parts shown in the top end of Fig. 3 and :which will'be more particularly referredto later.-

- chine and which will be more 1920. Serial No. 371,808.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the vend ng machinein a plane indicatedby the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is another horizontal section through the vending machine, in a plane indicated by the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is still another horizontal section through the vending machine, in a planeindicated by the line 77 of F ig.j1.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of a certain plate embodied in the vending maparticularly referred to later.

Fig. 9 is a transverse, vertical detail section through the machine in a'plane indicated by the line 99 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail view'of parts shown in Fig. 9. v A

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal verticalsection, on an enlarged scale, of parts shown in the top end of Fig. 1. V

Fig. 12 is a side view of a modified form of vending machine embodying my invention.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 11 inclusive, of the accompanying drawings, 15 indicates a sheet metal, rectangular shell forming part of the casing for the vending machine, which is preferably of a height greater than its width or depth. Said shell. is open at its rear and. bottom ends and has upright side walls 16, an upright front wall 17 and a horizontal top wall 18. Said shell is secured at its open bottom end to a base-board 19, which in turn is secured to a metal base 20, the base and base-board providing the bottom of the casing. The open rear end of'the'casing is normally closed by a swinging door 21, which is hinged -at one margin, as at 22, to one of the sidewalls 16, and carrieson its other margin 'a hinged hasp 23. which engages an eye 24 on the other side wall,

16 and may be locked thereto by a lock 25 (see Fig. 7). The rear margins of the side walls 16 are bent inwardly toward each otherto provide abutments against which the said door is closed.

Near the bottom of the casing, the side walls 16 are extended forwardly beyond the plane of the front wall 17. This forwardly extending part of the casing has a canopy top wall 26. whichoverhangs a curved apron 2-7, that extends upwardly and rearwardly ilromthe front end of the base-board 19. Said apron receives a package when discharged in the operation of the machine, and directs it toward a discharge mouth defined by the apron and the bottom edge oi the canopy The outer edge ot the apron is curled upon itself or otherwise formed to provide a stop 27* tor the package discharged upon it.

In the front wall 17' of the casing is an opening that is closed by a glass 28 through which the packages to be vended are visible to the purchaser for selection. Said glass is secured in place in any con venient manner and its bottom edge pro- -jccts a short distance below the rear top edge of the canopy 26.

Mounted on the inner surface of the door 21, is an upright coin chute member 29 that is spaced from and is secured to said door by top and bottom spacer blocks 3031. tiaid coin chute member is preterably made from a block or wood having a plurality of trausverseb/ spaced. vertical slits 32, which open through the ends and I through the rear face o't said block to provide a plurality of chutes or guideways for the coin to be used in operating the machine. The member 29 terminates at its top a short distance 'lrom the top wall 18 ot the casing, and terminates at its bottom spa end in substantially the. horizontal plane (it the bottom edge or the glass 28. A sheet metal plate 33 secured to the rear taco ot the member 29. closes the lower part of each coin chute slit 32;, which is open at the back abov said plate, for a purpose which will hereina'tter be described.

In the bottom of the casing. a short distance below the bottom ends ot the glass 2S and chute member 25). is located a pair o'l horizontally disposed, vertically spaced plates 3& 35 (see Figs. T and 8). Said plates are oi" an area approximating the horizontal area of the casing and their trout ends extend into substantially the plane of the trout wall 17. while their rear ends project rearwardly below the coin chute member 29. when the door 21 is closed. The top plate 34- provides a platform upon which rest the stack or stacks of packages to be vended. The bottom plate 35 (see Fig. 8) has a plurality of integral iuiiriglit cars 36 at its corners. upon which the top plate 3'; rests and by which it is secured in vertical. relation to said bottom plate. 'lhrough said cars extend upright bolts 37 which are secured in the base-board 19 and act as supporting standards or posts tor said plates 3435.

' Rising from the top plate or platform are pairs of front and rear upright guide rods 28- 39 arranged in vertical planes interme...ate the vertical planes of the coin slots in the chute member 29, with a pair at each end beyond the outermost slot. Said rods are secured at their top ends to a horizontal shelf or tray 40, located above the top edge of the glass 28, and extending rearwardly from the front wall 17. Said glass and the front surface of the chute member 29. together with the rods 38- 39 before mentioned, provide a magazine tor holding the packages to be vended in transversely spaced vertical stacks which rest upon the top plate or platform 34-. On the top surface of the top plate 34, at its front end, are upright ribs ll in line with each pair of rods 3889, and in the plane of the coin chutes 32 in the member 29, are provided longitudinal slots 42, extending substantially the full length of the platform plate 34. The rear ends of said slots terminate in a plane back of the chutes 32 in the member 29 so that when a coin falls down through a chute 32, it will drop into an associated slot 42, as shown in Fig. 7. To guide a coin from a chute edgewise into a slot l2. I provide upon the rear end of the plate 34, upwardly and outwardly inclined ribs l3 as shown in Figs. 2-7 and 10. In the bottom plate 35, in the vertical plane of the slots 42, I provide narrower slots ll on each side. of which are fixed ribs 45 that define coin runways. The slots 44 are narrower than the slots -l-2 so that when the proper coin is introduced into the machine and through the chutes 32 to said slots &2--1l4, said coin will bridge the narrower slot But it a coin or slug of proper diameter, but of less thickness passes through the chute 32 and slot e2, it will fall through the slot 44, as clearly shown in Fig. 10. The front end of the bottom plate terminates back of the front end of the slots 42 so that when a package has been delivered from the machine through the use of the proper coin, said coin is deposited upon the base-board 19 at about the same time that the package is discharged upon the apron 27. as shown in Fig. 2. I

it indicates a bar which is located in the space between the plates 3+, 35. Said bar extends transversely ot the coin-runway ribs l5, and is capable ot a reciprocatory movement on said ribs. The bar 4-6 projcc'ts at its cnds beyond the bottom plate 35, and its ends are engaged by spring arms l-T mounted on pins 4:8 on the base-board 19. Said sm'ing arms act to hold the bar 46 normally in a position back of the rear ends of the coin runways and against stops 36, which in the example illustrated, are provided by the spacing sleeves between the frontend of which projects through the canopy 26 where it is provided with a handgrasp or knob 49; Said rod bears upon the top surface of the plate which is cored out between the ribs for the sake of lightness.

At the front end of the platform 34 is located a swinging shelf 52. Said shelf is secured to a transverse horizontal rod 53 which has bearing at its ends in forwardly extending cars 54 on the bottom plate'35, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7. Said shelf has a slot at its middle so that, when the universal bar 46 and the rod 49 are in their normal position, said shelf may straddle y the rod and assume a substantially vertical position as shown in Fig. 1. While in this position, it acts as a guard against the insertion of a. hooked wire or other imple ment, up through the delivery chamber for the purpose of withdrawing a package from the stack through the use of such implement. A spline 50 extending laterally from the rod 49, is adapted, when the rod is moved forwardly, to engage cam rib 52 on said shelf and swing the shelf to a horizontal position wherein it provides an extension of the top surface of the top plate or platform 34, to receive a package, when delivered from the bottom of a stack and to prevent endwise tipping of the package before it is completely withdrawn from its stack. When the rod returns to its normal position, the shelf will fall by gravity and discharge its package upon the apron 27. No matter what position said shelf is in, however, it prevents the insertion of an implement into the machine for the purpose of withdrawing a package.

To the top end of the front wall 17, is fixed a coin slot plate 60, having vertically disposed, horizontally spaced openings 61, through which the coins may be inserted. Said openings register with similar openings 62 in said front wall. 63, 64 indicate vertically spaced top and bottom plates which provide tracks'or guides for the coins, from the plate 60 into the chutes32 in the member 29. Said plates are preferably slightly inclined downwardly and rearwardly as shown in Fig. 11, and have at their corners, engaging ears 65, through which rivets extend to secure them in the desired spaced relation.

The bottom plate 64 has depending ears 66 at its front end and similar ears 67 at its sides near its rear end, by means of which both platesare secured in position in the casing. On the opposed surfaces of said plates, are provided laterally spaced, longitudinally curved ribs 6869- respectively, arranged'in pairs. The ribs 68 of each pair of ribs, on the top plate 63 define a guide or track for the top edge of a coin while the associated ribs 69 on the bottom plate define a guide or track for the bottom edge of a coin. Said tracks or guides of course,"although being curved laterally, begin in line at their front endswith the openings 61-62 and open into the top ends of an associated coin chute 32 in the member 29." Preferably, the ribs 6869 are slightly offset laterally with respect to each other, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the coin assumes an inclined position. lVith the tracks curved in this manner, a coin of smaller diameter" than that of the coin designed to operate the machine, cannot be made to follow the track, by being held at the inlet slot 61 and then given a quick impulse or movement'by flicking the coin with the finger.

Both plates 6364 are provided with openings 69-64 for the purpose of lightening said plates. The openings 64 in the bottom plate also serve another purpose in this manner. Supposing a coin or slug of a smaller diameter is carefully inserted through the slots 61-62. Said coin will not engage between the ribs on the top plate and as it is thus unsupported orunguided at its top edge, it will fall laterally upon the adjacent pair of ribs and thereforefall through one of the openings'64" between the ribs 69 to be deposited upon the tray 40. At the rear edge of the bottom plate 64, between the ribs 69of each pair, I provide'a small, thin sharp blade 70, which slight ly' overhangs the associated chute 32. This blade will cut any string or thread to which has been attached a proper'coin for with drawing it after it has operated the ma chine.

To prevent the use of a slug of the properdiameter and weight,-but containing spurious metal capable of being influenced by a magnet, I provide a pair of horseshoe magnets 72 which are mounted in place between the member 29 and door 21, just below the spacing block 30. There is one magnet for each pair of coin chutes 32, the arms of each magnet being arranged so as'to bridge the top end of the associated coin chute 32. Such a slug after entering the top end of the chute 32, will be attracted by the mag net and will be withdrawn or pulled from the chute to roll on the front side of the magnet and be deposited either on the top of the spacing block 31, or on the base-board 19. If a paper or fiber slug is used, it will drop down the coin chute and strike against" a light leaf spring '73 which will deflect its" coarse out of the chute 32, through an opening in the plate A spring 73 is asso ciated with each chute. While said spring will deflect a light weight slug, it will readily yield through holes 73 in line with the chute, to permit the passage of a coin of proper weight. g

In Fig. 12, I have shown a modified form of the machine, in which a rocking lever is ,rock shaft 76, which extends through one side wall of the machine. The lever is limited in its movements by stops 77, on the casing side wall. The end of the rock shaft 76 within the casing is connected in any suitable manner to the universal bar 46, so as to translate the rocking movement of the shaft 76 into a reciprocating movement of the universal bar 46.

The operation of my improved vending machine is as follows: Assume that a coin of the proper denomination, say for instance, a five cent piece, or nickel, is in- Serted edgewise through one slot 61 in the coin plate 60. Said coin will pass through the associated slot 62 and then roll on its edge rearwardly on the inclined curved track provided by ribs 68-69 on the plates 6364. Said coin will strike the top spacerblock 30, and will be deflected downwardly win an edgewise manner, through the associated coin chute 32 in the member 29. As said coin is not influence by the magnets, it will pass by them. As it engages a leaf spring 73, its weight willv swing the same into the slot 73 and pass by said spring which will immediately return to its normal position.

Said coin, when passing out through the chute 32 is directed by the ribs 43, into and through the rear end of the slot 42 into position in front of the universal bar 46, the edge of said coin bridging the narrower slot 44 in the bottom plate 35, so as to be capable of being rolled on its edge in the runway provided by the ribs 45 thereon. The body of the coin will engage within the slot 42, so as to be held in edgewise posi tion, and the top of the coin will project above the top plate 34 into a position to engage the bottom package of the stack on the platform. The rod 49 is then pulled outwardly to move the universal bar 46 forwardly, with its front edge engaging the rear edge of the coin, and the coin, acting as a. key to connect the bar to the package,

will push the package forwardly to deliver it into the space below the canopy 26. At the same time. the spline 50 on the rod 49 will engage the cam rib 51 on the shelf 52 and swing it into a horizontal position flush with the top surface of the top plate 34, ready to receive said package. Thus the coin acts to impart the movement of the universal bar to the package which is delivered upon the horizontal shelf 52.

When a package is removed from the bottom of a stack, the next succeeding package will assume, by gravity induced by itself and the packages above it, a position on the top plate formerly occupied by the package discharged, so as to be in proper position for the next operation. It is to be noted that the bottom edge of the glass 28 engages the end of the second package of a stack and thus prevents the discharge of more than one package at an operation.

Just as a package is delivered upon the shelf 52, the coin rolls off the front end of the bottom plate, as shown in Fig. 2, and is deposited upon the base board 19. If desired, a tray may be placed upon said baseboard to catch the coins. The rod 49, the outer movement of which has been arrested bythe engagement of the spline 50 with the depending part of the canopy 26 is now released and the spring arms 47 move the universal bar and said rod to their normal, initial positions. As the rod moves inwardly, the shelf 52, no longer supported by the spline 50, swings downwardly and the package slides off the shelf and falls upon the apron 27, from which it may be withdrawn from the machine. The machine is now ready for the-next operation.

As is apparent, a coin may be inserted in either or all of the coin chutes and upon operation of the rod 49, a package will be discharged for each coin thus inserted. Supposing in trying to beat the machine, two coins of proper denomination are inserted into the same inlet slot 61, one right after the other. The said coins will drop down the chute 32 and one will rest on the bottom plate 35, and the other will rest upon the first and extend part way into the bottom end of the chute. Upon actuation of the rod 49, the bottom coin will act as a key to transmit the movement of the bar 46 to a package to discharge it. while the second coin will fall into the place formerly occupied by the first coin. When the universal bar moves back to its normal position, its rear edge, which. is beveled as indicated at 46*, will act to lift the coin to permit said bar to pass, whereupon the coin will assume a position in front of said bar. Upon a second actuation of the rod 49, a second package will be discharged by means of this coin. Thus a package. will be discharged for each coin but no more.

hen one stack of the packages has been exhausted, this is made apparent to the purchaser, from a view through the glass in the front wall.

It will be manifest that the characteristics of a proper coin, such as diameter, thickness, weight and kind of material, have all been taken into consideration in providing the traps heretofore described. The machine will thus operate only when a proper coin is inserted, and will trap, but not return slugs and the like.

The machine is easily loaded with packages by opening the door 21, and placing the packages in stacks between the guide rods. The machine is Water-proof, is simple and efficient in operation, and Will not get out of order.

Vhile in describing my invention, I have referred to certain details of mechanical construction and arrangement of parts, I do not Wish ,to limit myself thereto except as pointed out in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention In a vending machine, the combination of a casing having a front Wall discharge opening and a rear door, a platform for supporting vertical stacks of packages, a coin controlled discharge mechanism mounted on said platform, rods rising from said platform and spacing said stacks from each other, and a member on said rear door having a plurality of chutes for directing coins into said discharge mechanism, said platform, front Wall, coin chute member and rods providing a magazine for holding said vertical stacks of packages.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses, this third day of April, A." D., 1920.

' CLARK WILLIAM GEORGE.

Witnesses:

I. H. DUNN, W. H. GEORGE. 

